Farmers’ unions protest in Kozhikode against dissolution of Malabar Milma board

M. Mehboob, State vice-president, Kerala Karshaka Sangham, opening a protest outside the venue of the annual general body meeting of the Malabar Regional Cooperative Milk Producers Union in Kozhikode on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: K. Ragesh Pro-Left farmers’ organisations staged separate protests in Kozhikode against the dissolution of the board of the Malabar Regional Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (MRCMPU), popularly known as Malabar Milma, even as its annual general body meeting was held in the city on Wednesday (September 23, 2026).The Dairy Development Director recently issued an order dissolving the MRCMPU, the regional union under the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma). The Deputy Director of Dairy Development in Wayanad has been appointed its administrator. There are three regional unions under Milma in Keralam. The Thiruvananthapuram union was also dissolved sometime ago.The Kerala Karshaka Sangham, the State unit of the All-India Kisan Sabha, took out a protest march to the Calicut Trade Centre, the venue of the general body meeting. Opening the protest, M. Mehboob, Sangham State vice-president, alleged that the V.D. Satheesan-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Keralam was trying to “help” the BJP in its attempts to capture the cooperative sector.Terming the dissolution of Malabar Milma as a “mischievous act”, he claimed that no irregularities had been so far reported in its functioning as claimed by the government. The dissolved board had taken up many good initiatives for the uplift of dairy farmers and their cooperative societies, he said. Mr. Mehboob alleged that the dissolution was part of a “BJP-UDF deal”. Mr. Satheesan had become subservient to the BJP, he added. K.S. Mani, chairman of the outgoing board, and K.P. Kunhammedkutty, former MLA, were present.Earlier, activists of the Sangham raised slogans outside the meeting venue. Some delegates at the annual general body meeting also expressed solidarity with them from inside the premises. Police personnel were deployed in the area ahead of the meeting.Meanwhile, opening another protest outside the office of the Deputy Director, Diary Development, Kisan Sabha leader Sathyan Mokeri condemned the dissolution terming it an “anti-democratic move with a political motive”. There had been no inquiry to find out the alleged irregularities, he said. CPI district secretary P. Gavas, among others, was present. Published - September 23, 2026 08:10 pm IST